Golf carts: Gas vs. Electric
 

Looking to purchase a golf cart...mainly for recreational use around the neighborhood and for the kids, but I'll use it when I play as well. Looking for any advise people can offer on their opinions of which is better; gas or electric carts.

APV,
You'll probably get a lot of different opinions. I think the biggest advantage of electrics are they are quiet and don't smell. Disadvantages are, they may slow on hills, must charge nightly and keep batteries watered, you could run out of charge if you drive long distances.

Gas cart disadvantages are noise and smell. Advantages are they go hundreds of miles on a tank of gas, keep their speed on hills and are low maintenance.

We have gas mainly for peace of mind in not running out of charge. We live on north end, can go to south end to play golf, play 18 holes, go to town square, make other stops on the way home and never worry about battery dieing. When third town square area is built, there will be even more ground to cover.

Please be careful with a child in the cart. Drivers here are not always the greatest. I would not let a child drive the cart!

Hope this is helpful.

I would go to the forum "All About Golf carts and things" and scan through the subjects. You will find lots of opinions on this subject and some other stuff like buying a cart new and used....


Here is a good example:

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...ad.php?t=21633

I tried both and weighed +'s and -'s and settled on gas. It's not THAT noisy and I feel much better knowing I don't need to charge it or replace batteries in 4 or 5 years. As far as smell I don't notice it.

Also read the posts about kids driving carts. Golf carts are not a toy. They will go 20+mph. People have been seriously hurt and even killed using a golf cart. 14 is the legal age with an adult in the cart, but even then it can be dangerous. They last thing you ever want to deal with is a grandchild being seriously injured because you let them drive your cart. It is something that would haunt you the rest of your life.

Poll
 

I wonder how accurate that poll really is. The poll has the electric at over 2 to 1. When I was down there last December, the cart salesman said he sells many more gas carts then electric.

Maybe alot of gas cart owners do not post here at TOTV?

When I get down there I will definitely purchase a gas powered golf cart.

We planned on buying a gas cart. Then we planned on buying a custom cart from the shop in TV. Then when you look at them, your head spins with so much information about this brand and that brand and gas and electric...Then you test drive and some have more get up and go than others (both gas and electric). Then we were told about leaving a gas cart for too long and how some thinga ma jig turns to lacquer. Water in the batteries...two or four seater...

To make a long story short, we were so sick of being without a cart, we found an awesome deal on a used electric that suits us perfectly. We leave it plugged in to the charger even we are gone. It's an automatic charger. When we leave we fill the battery and plug it in. Easy peezie. My husband still wants the custom cart, but that can come later.

The cart salesmen at Yamaha will tell you that because they are the biggest sellers of gas. Some dealers don't even offer gas. Yamaha told me that they sell 80% gas, and gas cost less than the same cart in electric so they wern't trying to get a bigger sale pushing gas.

I have a gas cart, mainly for peace of mind. I don't have to worry about running out of a charge- I live in the far northern part and like to be able to travel around without worrying. It depends on where you live and how you plan to use it.
I too echo the words of others in cautioning you abouting letting kids drive it. Not only can it be dangerous but if you let someone underage drive it and something happens, chances are your insurance won't cover it (you let someone illegally drive it) and you'd be responsible for damages/injuries out of your own pocket.

I've had both and prefer the LSV.
 

I’ve had both first an electric car and later a gas cart. I liked the silence of the electric and the hill climbing capability of the gas cart. After looking at the situation and how and where I wanted to drive my cart, I settled on an LSV (street legal cart). By law these are electric.

The new batteries available on the LSVs eliminate, to all intents and purposes, the problems of range and hill climbing. I maintain speeds equal to or faster than the gas carts going up hill and 5mph faster on the downhill and level ground. Like Colleen, I live in the far north part of the Villages, so range is important to me. I have still not determined the maximum range of the Tomberlin, but find the advertised range of 30 miles very realistic. I looked at both Par Car and Tomberlin and settled on Tomberlin. I did not consider GEM. The LSV allows me to cross 441, Rolling Hills Road, the traffic circle outside of Chathan, and even cross over to Home Depot. They allow you to ride on roads with posted speed limits of 35mph or less. I watch people do this, but have no desire to be, on Buena Vista or El Camino Real with cars and trucks going 45mph or faster. Some people do it, but I do not have a death wish.

The downside to these is the need to remember recharge at the end of the day and to check water levels in the batteries. The new auto-fill system has taken all the work out of checking water levels and filling the batteries to the right levels. For me this is a better choice than either the standard gas or electric cart.

Thanks for all the feedback. Seems like the gas gets more votes than the electric! And what I meant about the kids is just taking them for rides :) Seems they get a kick out of it and it'll help me get around better. Thanks again everyone!

Gas Cart
 

Speaking of golf carts, I will be looking to purchase one shortly. Not sure if I'd choose gas or electric, but will most likely buy a used one. Any estimate on the cost of a decent used cart? I'd like to keep my first purchase under 5 grand. Will that be doable? Thanks

under 5 definitely doable....gn

We bought a used one from an individual two years ago. A four seater, gas, and it has been a great buy. Was under five thousand for sure.

My husband is motor savvy. I would be lost without his knowledge. All I know about motor driven devices you could comfortably put in your eye.

Hi Tom,
I see you are a new poster. :welcome: Are you also new in TV? If so, double welcome!

We bought a used Yamaha gas cart for under $5000 from Carts and Clubs in Ocala. Might want to check them out.

Agree, it's very doable.